Yum!

*sniff, sniff* I think this is the best lookin' chicken I've crock-potted yet:


If DaHubby doesn't get home soon, I may start without him! LOL

Wordless Wedneday: Mighty Massive Carrot!

During our one-day defrost due to a deluge of rain and flood warnings last week, we were able to dig up some root veggies that hadn't made it to storage yet:

I have multiple ones this size. LOL Can anyone say CARROT SOUP!?

Pumpkin pie day two

Remember the two pies I made yesterday. And, remember how I blogged here about my little pie crust troubles. Well, here are the two pies after their time in the oven:

The one on the left is the store bought crust; the one on the right is the homemade.

The one on the left is gone; we haven't tried the other yet
so no taste testing yet but at least they looked respectable! LOL

And, while the pie is baking...

...I got the Vikings involved in a little dessert craft! LOL Using this recipe as our starting point, Flicka and Pojke put together lil pilgrim hats using striped shortbread cookies, Reese's mini-cups, and Starburst "licorice" in red, orange, and yellow cut in squares (couldn't find inexpensive, fine-point frosting nor Chiklets or any other square small candy).

Easy and frugal last minute pie crust

With so many things to put together today (and I'm not even cooking the actual MEAL! LOL), I decided on frozen pie crusts for my pumpkin pies. As you probably know, they generally come in pairs, one spooned up inside the other. However, when I separated mine this morning, the bottom one was crushed and broken. So, of course, I scrambled online to fine a quick and easy pie crust recipe. What I found was this!

Mixing done IN the pie pan. No rolling into a perfect circle (it is this frustration that's kept me from trying before). No transferring it in one piece to the pan (the other reason). No tearing or ripping the dough en route. In other words, PERFECT for me! LOL

And, this is what it looked like pre-cooked:
Then, I'll update in an hour or so to show you how it turned out! LOL

Two new recipes

In the interest of DaHubby's veggy diet
as well as trying to eat more seasonal veggies
plus cook with more "unfamiliar" veggies
and (finally) due to an overabundance of MONSTER-SIZED carrots in the garden,
I whipped up a new recipe this week:
carrot soup!

Not as strange as it sounds and it was a WONDERFUL fall-feeling soup!

I normally make a new recipe as it is written at least the first time. I don't usually experiment until the 2nd or 3rd try. But, I jumped right in with this one.

Instead of water and bouillon, I boiled up a small batch of broth from veggies and the leftovers of two bone-in chicken breasts from earlier in the week.

I used DaHubby's beloved olive oil instead of unsalted butter.

And, defying the recipe again LOL, I tossed in half of a leftover sweet potato as well as two leftover small potatoes baked earlier in the week instead of the requested one large potato.

What resulted had to be the best smelling soup I have ever made - and I've been making some good soups in the last year - as well as the best tasting!

Carrot soup along with Crystal's (of MoneySavingMom.com fame) recipe for frugal homemade breadsticks and DaHubby and I were well-filled, happy, and warm!

Frugal ingredient substitution

I've been working diligently to find more and more frugal solutions to a tight grocery budget (I'm feeding the four of us on $60/week). Trying to put together dinner on Tuesday nights is sometimes particularly difficult since grocery day is Wednesday which is the day DaHubby gets paid. But, a couple of weeks ago I stumbled onto something I thought I'd share.

A few weeks ago, I was trying to make an easy and quick chicken pot pie dinner on a Tuesday night with a recipe where I didn't have all the required ingredients. I needed a can of cream of chicken soup. Hmmm. And, I was standing with my cabinets when I had a light bulb moment.

I've recently started making the Vikings' beloved "cheese noodles" from scratch - using elbow noodles and a cheese sauce started from a standard white sauce of butter, flour, salt, pepper, and milk then adding shredded cheese to taste. It's just as easy. I can make it "cheesier" if we want. And, no "powdered" cheese.

Anyway, I mentioned here that we often have several Raman seasoning packets leftover around here. So, to replace my cream of chicken soup need...I made a more "watery" than usual white sauce (a little extra milk) and added a Raman chicken flavoring packet! This could also be done with bullion granules and possibly a cube, I suppose. Need cream of mushroom? Use a Raman mushroom flavoring packet!

I measured out about 2 cups of my concoction, inserted into the recipe, and DaHubby and the Vikings never knew the difference!

Simple (and frugal) ingredient substitution? Works for me!

For more WFMW, see Shannon's place today.

P.S. White sauce recipes abound on the net but here's the one I use:

3 T butter
2 T flour
1 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1.5 C milk

In a saucepan, melt butter. Remove from heat. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil - stirring constantly - over medium heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.

At this point, add 1 C shredded cheese for cheese sauce or whatever seasoning you need!

A Viking New Year

Well, the kids seem to be recuperating OK. Both are still flinching at anything near their ears but their overall moods have improved.

Last night was spent with Rice Crispie treats, popcorn, movies, and a blanket tent...with a little later than normal bedtime around 10pm. Mom and Dad made it 'til midnight but not by much! LOL

Then, this morning I woke up this morning with a baking/cooking urge like nothing I've had since "nesting" hit before Pojke arrived! LOL Made homemade cinnamon rolls with the bread machine, two loaves of strawberry bread using some of a gallon freezer bag of fresh/frozen strawberries we got at church, Grandma's homemade pancakes and fried taters for breakfast, and the marinade to put some AngelFood steaks in for dinner...all before noon! LOL Then, I sat down, read the last three days' worth of newspapers, then got back up to make lunch! *wink*

Anyway, DaHubby's out in the garage working on some income-producing projects, the Vikings are finishing up a Disney flick, and then they are going to lay down for naps/quiet time. Maybe I'll get a shower and some quiet time of my own then! Or maybe I'll start the MOMS Club newsletter, do the last tweaking of the January budget at TotalMoneyMakeover.com, or create the Vikings' thank you notes so I can send them out this week. *sigh*

We'll see...oh, did I mention we got 2-3 inches of snow on the ground with 2-4 more predicted, that my house smells wonderfully and is warmer now with two north-facing window "shrink-wrapped", that I was up with Pojke for over an hour during the night, and that I think the couch and favorite blanket is calling my name....zzzzzzzz.

WFMW: What Do I Fix?

This is a themed-week at Shannon's. She wants to know what everyone's best last-minute, it's-the-day-before-grocery-day, there's *nothing* in-the-fridge-but-we-gotta-feed-these-animals recipe is. Our best ideas for these types of days generally involve either pasta, ramans, or consists of some sort or a "breakfast dinner." So, just because Shannon asked so nicely, here's a DaGrandma's recipe!

DaGrandma's pancakes

1 C milk
3 T vinegar
2 eggs

whisk above in a bowl

add 1 t baking soda

then, mix in enough flour (about 1 1/2 C) to make it the consistency you prefer. DaHubby likes the thinner, nearly crepe-like Swedish-styled ones while I prefer the super-thick ones.

And, we experimented and found that if you add 2 T baking cocoa and 2T brown sugar, this make GREAT chocolate pancakes.

Stop by Shannon's today for more recipe ideas.

Linky Love and Thank You!

OH! MY! WORD!

Can I say that I have never tried a recipe recently that went over SO well with DaHubby, Flicka, Pojke, DaGrandma, and DaPapa all in one day?! *wink*

THANK! YOU! SHARON!

We tried her Mountain Dew Pound Cake. DaHubby L.O.V.E.S. Mountain Dew and doesn't get it often since I can't stand the stuff and, of course, I do all the shopping! The original plan was to have it ready when he arrived home from his weekend away. But, when he came home 18 hours early and in the middle of the night (LOL), I missed the chance to do it for him.

So, I tackled it yesterday! But, initially all I saw was the ingredient list. And, unfortunately, I didn't read carefully enough and I'm still a rookie with desserts and....ARG...I don't own a bundt pan or a tube pan! *sigh* So, after consulting with my sweet 70+ yr old neighbor, we concocted a method to cook it in a 9 by 13 instead. (Sorry, Sharon! *wink*) But...

OH! MY! WORD!

Can I suggest Sharon's other recipes which she has started a habit of posting on Tuesdays? How 'bout her greens and cornbread? Or how 'bout her no-Peek Chicken & Rice Casserole? Another one I've yet to try is her chocolate chip pancakes! Here's a fruit salad recipe that sounds interesting.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Sharon for a wonderful dessert!

TFTS recipe swap: desserts

OK, I wasn't going to post for this today but when I just went here and saw that only FOUR people posted "diet-friendly" dessert ideas, I thought "that's pitiful!" LOL

So here's my attempt to relieve some healthy-eaters' dessert cravings:

Two Point Shake

1 C skim milk
2 T sugar free pudding mix any flavor
1 T fat free Cool Whip
1 t vanilla
8 ice cubes

Put all in blender and process until smooth and thick.

After DaHubby tried his first one, he's requested them several times since DESPITE being only two points! LOL So it can't be ALL bad, right? *wink*

Tales From the Scales side dish recipe swap

This week is side dishes. (Go here for their main dishes post)

I have two suggestions since I couldn't choose. And, I linked to them instead of me having to type them all out! LOL I'm all about efficiency! *wink*

Crispy Herb Bread (a high-calorie garlic bread replacement even DaHubby likes): 1 slice is 2 points

Vegetable Trio: 3/4 cup is 1 point

Go to the TFTS post today for more side dishes ideas!

Tales From The Scales recipe swap: main dishes

Well, I know it's summer and the thought of hot soups and stews are probably less appealing right now but we're still eating them at least once a week for a variety of reasons:

1. LOW POINTS!
2. Lots of veggies
3. LOW POINTS!
4. Easy on the cook
5. LOW POINTS!
6. Relatively inexpensive ingredients
7. LOW POINTS!

You get the idea.

Anyway, I can't recommend the Taste of Home recipe finder enough. Thankfully, this first recipe is from them partially due to the fact they post the nutritional info on most of their low-fat recipes. So,here's my recommendations:

Pinto Bean Stew: 4 points per cup

I have three others that I would recommend but the TOH site says they are for magazine subscribers only. So, if you are one, there are also these options:

Kielbasa Cabbage Stew: 6 points for 1 3/4 cups
Slow Cooker Chili: 5 points per cup
Easy Minestrone: TWO points for 1 1/3 cups

So, go to Tales for the Scales today for more recipe ideas. Beth has scheduled these recipe swaps for each Wednesday for the next four weeks!

WFMW: Heathly Eating - Low Fat Gravy

When I first started doing a Weight-Watchers-wannabe program that used something like the Points system, I found this and was thrilled to see that it was only 1 point for 1/4 cup!

Low-Fat Gravy

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mushrooms
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 cups reduced-sodium fat-free beef or chicken broth, divided
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch pepper

In a saucepan, saute onion, mushrooms and parsley in 1/4 cup broth until vegetables are tender. Combine cornstarch, pepper and 1/2 cup of broth; stir until smooth. Add to pan with the remaining broth. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally; boil for 2 minutes. Yield: 2 cups.

Nutritional Analysis: One 1/4-cup serving equals 19 calories, 1 g fat (0 saturated fat), 2 mg cholesterol, 28 mg sodium, 3 g carbohydrate, 0 fiber, 1 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Free Food.

Go to Shannon's site for additional ideas and recipes!

Online Cookie Exchange

What an awesome idea! Anita suggested an online cookie recipe exchange. So, here is a list of goodies I have made so far or was hoping to bake this month:

Cherry Snowballs
Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies
Rice Crispie Treats (green and red!)
Almond Stars
Oatmeal Scotchies
Peanutty Caramel Bars
Chevy Macaroons
No-Bake Cookies (my SIL's recipe)

And, here's the one Viking #1 and I will make today: Cherry Snowballs

1 C butter, softened
1/2 C confectioners' sugar
2 C all-purpose flour
1 jar (6 oz.) maraschino cherries, without stems, drained and halved
Additional confectioners' sugar

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar; gradually add flour. Shape a tablespoon of dough around each cherry, forming a ball. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 325 for 18-20 minutes or until bottoms are browned. Roll warm cookies in confectioners' sugar. Cool on wire racks.

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen

Please feel free to participate! Post your recipe at your blog and link back to Anita or to here.